He was arrested in Germany in March as he was travelling from Finland to Brussels and is believed to be living in Hamburg.

The Spanish judge withdrew his extradition requests after a German court ruled last week that Mr Puigdemont could not be sent back to Spain for rebellion, only for embezzlement connected to the alleged misuse of public funds for a referendum on secession.

Judge Pablo Llarena was scathing in his assessment of the German court’s decision, describing it as “a lack of commitment” in pursuing the fugitives.

The charges are in connection with the Catalan regional government’s unauthorised October 1 referendum on independence from Spain and a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence by the separatist-controlled regional parliament.

The declaration won no international recognition, but the stand-off between regional powers in the Catalan capital, Barcelona, and national authorities in Madrid created Spain’s worst political crisis in four decades.

A German court last week said Spain’s rebellion charge was not recognised in Germany and that related German statutes, such as the law against treason, did not apply because Mr Puigdemont’s actions “did not rise to this kind of violence”.

If the six politicians return to Spain voluntarily, they would still face rebellion and sedition charges.

The other fugitive politicians are Antoni Comin, Meritxell Serret and Lluis Puig, who also fled to Belgium, Clara Ponsati, who is in Scotland, and Marta Rovira, who is believed to be in Switzerland.

Nine other prominent Catalan separatist politicians are in Spanish jails awaiting possible trial for promoting the region’s drive to secede.